The staff on the phones were very helpful and kind. No question was too dumb for them to answer. Dr Mitchell the surgeon, and her team were very kind and understanding of my senior dog's needs. They put me at ease and I appreciate that. I can't say enough about them!! Definitely would recommend her to anyone who is needing surgery for their dog. You can tell Dr Mitchell and her staff/team really care about your pet. She did pet my pup and interacted with her. I hope I never need her services again but I would trust her 100%
BUT...The Oncology Dr we saw the previous week was rude and uncaring. He never touched my dog. His student took my dog to get her vitals and 15 minutes later they brought her back. Maybe they did an exam behind closed doors and that's NOT something I am happy about. He did NOT interact with my dog, he did not touch her or pet her. He also directed all his answers and responses to my husband. This is MY dog, that I rescued before I met my husband. The Vets dismissive attitude was a put down to me, both as a dog owner and a female. COVID is over, examine the dog in the room with the owner!!
This was my first time visiting this hospital. I normally go to UT, but because it was past midnight and they don’t accept walk‑ins, I came here instead. The staff themselves were kind and compassionate, which I appreciated during an extremely stressful night and the days that followed.
On 8/9 around 12:30 AM, I brought my senior cat in for breathing issues. She was breathing around 45 breaths per minute, weak, and could barely walk. I genuinely felt like she was dying, and she was.
Earlier that week, on 8/4, her primary vet had taken X‑rays and suspected asthma and bronchitis, but also felt something else might be going on, as she only ever had mild asthma with no flare ups needing medical attention such as meds or inhalers. He sent the images to a radiologist, but the turnaround was 5–7 business days, and her breathing worsened while we waited for the report to come back.
At the emergency hospital on 8/9, I provided those recent X‑rays, but the vet tech said they needed to repeat them. They explained that things could have changed and that they had access to a 24/7 radiologist through a partnership program who could review the new images within an hour. I agreed, hoping for clarity.
Their radiologist diagnosed asthma and bronchitis patterns, and I was told there wasn’t anything they could do. I left with no treatment plan and no explanation for her rapid decline, other than her old age.
Later that day, my cat threw up blood, and I went back to the hospital.
Bloodwork showed internal bleeding, and I was told she needed a blood transfusion to survive. My only options were euthanasia or proceeding with the transfusion. Based on the hospital’s radiology report — asthma and bronchitis — I chose the transfusion, believing she simply needed more time to adjust to her inhalers and possibly come off oral pred.
The next day, 8/10, after she had already undergone a second transfusion, my primary vet called with the radiologist’s report from the original X‑rays on 8/4. Their findings showed an esophageal and hiatal hernia, which fully explained her breathing issues and internal bleeding. The only fix was surgery, but at 15 years old with kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, a heart murmur, and arthritis, she was not a surgical candidate. I was advised that euthanasia was the kindest option.
This was devastating, and also deeply frustrating, because the emergency hospital’s radiologist had misdiagnosed her just the day before. That incorrect diagnosis directly influenced my decision to proceed with transfusions, costing over $5,000, and it prolonged her death, subjected her to needles, and put her through possible pain and confusion she did not need to experience in her final days. Had the correct diagnosis been made at the at the hospital, I would have made a different decision.
Radiology discrepancies like this matter. They change treatment plans, financial decisions, and in my case, the final days of a beloved pet’s life. While the staff was kind and I’m grateful for that, the conflicting radiology interpretations created outcomes that affected my cat’s final days and my experience as her caregiver.
